#133 - 6 Days of Paleo & an Intro to CrossFit

Melissa and I have been living the Paleo life for the past 5 days. Originally, we decided we were going to keep a few things in our diets:

- Milk - Potatoes - Rice - AltoidsAfter reading "The Paleo Solution" and "The Paleo Diet", we've decided to nix out a few more things from the diet. No more milk. No more potatoes. We are including rice because Melissa got a really nice rice cooker for Christmas and it's basically not an option to leave it in the box for a month. We are including Altoids because I like Altoids.So now, we are not eating (among other things): - Milk, Cheese, Butter, Ice Cream, or Yogurt - Bread, Tortillas, Chips, Cereal, Corn, Oats, or anything with Wheat - Open your fridge and point at something... I can't eat thatWe picked up those two books from our local library. The local library is an amazing resource and nobody utilizes it as much as they should. Go to your local library and get something.Anyway, while reading the books it definitely felt like it was a bit much. I'm not sure I agree with everything I read, but I think a LOT of what I read was great and the advice spelled out in those books has lead to some very positive real-world changes. I'm definitely eating heartier and healthier and I think that it will carry over some after this challenge is done.One thing that came up over and over again in our reading was CrossFit. CrossFit is a workout/gym/business that has grown a lot in recent years. The exercise focuses on overall athleticism and general health (as compared to power lifting's focus on power and distance training's focus on the cardiovascular system). I like most of what I've seen/read about when it comes to CrossFit.Anyway, CrossFit and Paleo seem to be related. So Melissa suggests "let's try CrossFit for a month!" and promptly finds a really good deal on Groupon. Long story short, I just CrossFitted for the first time in my life. Melissa did too.

Visual approximation of Melissa and I

I know about as much about CrossFit as I do about Paleo, which is to say I don't know much; but I'm trying them out... if just for 30 days.This year is going to be interesting.

Top 5: 30 Day Challenges I've Decided to Do at Some Point

5. Read 5 books4. No screens after 93. Draw something every day2. Work out every day (rotating through heavy lifts, cardio, yoga, sports, etc)1. CrossFit should have been one, but Melissa decided we should tack it onto Paleo, because Paleo wasn't hard enough.Quote:“Great Job!”- The CrossFit Intructor said this... to Melissa -

Motto: What a Marvelous Accomplishment Preface:Before I get started I'd like to let you know that I'm writing this in a coffee shop. The following video reflects my current situation:

Okay, now that's done. Either strap yourselves in or bail out now. This column is going to be spectacularly nerdy and long. I'm writing exclusively about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Please note that while this is notthe first time I've written about this subject, today's post will be more specifically focused on the MCU. A Brief History of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: The MCU is a series of movies (and a television show) produced by Marvel and distributed by Paramount that exist in the same shared universe, each telling their own story while contributing to a greater, overarching narrative. Specifically, this:

Those are all the current and confirmed future MCU movies. I didn't include the television show "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." in that graphic bec…